Pokemon - Darkness in Utopia
by wesleydrayke
Summary: Andy is a late blooming pokemon trainer. Forbidden by his parents to leave the berry orchard, he runs away from home with a buneary to discover the world of pokemon is a little darker than he'd imagined.
1. Chapter 1 The Adventure Begins

"Ritchie sends out Pikachu to battle Charizard!" The TV hissed the cries and applause of the crowd at the Pokemon League. A large red dragon with a flaming tail tip and red horns stared down a small yellow mouse with black stripes and a lightning bolt shaped tail. "Will this become a Pikachu barbeque?"

"It'll be an interesting match, at least," a young boy with dark hair and

bright blue eyes leaned back in the leather sofa. He grinned and rested his head back in his hands. His well fitted mareep skin and wool clothes clung to his slender figure.

"Interesting?" An older woman, his mother, stood close to the TV waving her arms frantically. She also had dark hair. Her fierce green eyes could pierce the screen if she wanted them to. "Andy, charizard will destroy Pikachu! This isn't a battle, it's a massacre!"

"Not necessarily," Dad butted in from his lounge chair. Dad was a big man

with light hair and pale blue eyes. His chest bulged like rippling barrels with his arms sprouting from it like oak trees. His green plaid wool shirt constantly strained against his muscular frame. Andy chuckled as he spotted another hole under Dad's arm that mom would have to stitch up again. "It's not always about size, honey bun."

"Right," Andy continued. "Also, Pikachu has type advantage, since charizard is a flying type as well as fire type. Pikachu is an electric type. Don't forget, Ritchie has already proven to be a great trainer, too. As long as Charizard doesn't land a physical attack, Pikachu could easily win this. Pikachu has speed and special attack over it."

Mom's gaze never left the TV screen. Was she even listening? She was going to bore a hole in the TV if she kept staring like that.

Andy yawned and watched the battle. Ritchie's Pikachu panicked as charizard stomped and flapped its wings. Pikachu tumbled away from the whirlwind attack, but before it coult mount a counter attack, charizard laid down and started napping in the arena. Ash fell to his knees begging his lazy charizard to continue the fight.

"Well, that was dumb," Andy remarked.

"What happened?" Mom was incredulous. "The battle was over before it even began," Andy replied. "What kind of an idiot would choose a pokemon that won't listen to him?"

"No, Ash!" Mom threw a tantrum, stomping and pulling her hair before calming down and falling to the sofa in a huff. She immediately brushed her long hair back in place and composed herself. "Well, shoot. I was so sure Ash would win."

Andy yawned, ignoring the commercials on TV following Ash's defeat. "I think that's the last battle tonight. I can't wait to start training my own pokemon. Someday, I'll make it to the Indigo league!"

Andy dreamed of becoming a pokemon master. Ever since he was a toddler first learning to read, he'd study books or internet sites about the behaviors and habits of pokemon. He watched countless videos on the internet about strategy and battles between pokemon. Sometimes, while herding mareep, he'd stare out into the orchard and imagine a gym where he'd battle his buneary or mareep against powerful opponents. However, as much as he dreamed of becoming a trainer, his parents refused to let him leave and chase his dreams.

"Now Andy," Dad sighed. "Please listen to me. You know that's not possible. We need you here to take care of the mareep and the berry orchard."

"But Dad!" Andy protested. He felt his heart racing knowing this would

become just another argument that ended with his parents telling him it was impossible for him to leave.

"No buts!" Mom scolded Andy and crossed her arms. Her gaze could reduce a

grown man to nothing but cinders. "You listen to your father!"

"But you have a hundred guys working for you on the orchard," Andy

complained. "Any one of them could be trained to take care of the mareep.

They're so simple..."

"No, Andy," Dad sighed. "The mareep know you better. They're more calm when you're around."

"Besides," Mom interjected. "You're too young to go off adventuring. It's

too dangerous."

"Mom, I'm fifteen." And stood and stared down indignant. His long dark bangs hid tears of disappointment. He couldn't bear to be denied again. They'd had this argument almost every day for the last month, and it hurt more each time. "Ash and Ritchie are only ten, and they've already made it to the pokemon league. I'm so far behind!"

"The answer is no, Andy," Mom ordered. "That's final. We are not discussing this again." She was even scarier when she spoke calmly, like the silence before a storm.

"Fine." Andy turned and bolted for the stairs leading up to the bedrooms.

"Andy!" Dad called after him, but Andy wasn't going to listen anymore if

they wouldn't.

"Zoey," Dad sighed and scratched at his scruffy chin and sat back down on

The couch. "Why are we so hard on him?"

Mom scooted over on the sofa into Dad's open arms to snuggle against him. "I just can't imagine my baby running around in the wilderness. It's so

dangerous. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to him."

Dad hummed a short tune and combed her hair back with his thick fingers. "I remember a certain girl who was fearless and ferocious in the face of

danger. A girl who mocked overprotective mothers..."

"Robert..."

"She was a stubborn trainer who never let anything get in her way. She had a dream, and she wouldn't give up until her dreams and the dreams of all those around here were fulfilled."

"Robert, we're talking about our son, now."

"Oh, so since he's our son his dreams are less important than his

protection?"

Mom stood up suddenly and stared incredulously at Dad. "Of course not,

but... Robert, he's my baby. I can't lose him. Maybe we can just convince him to be interested in other things..."

"Zoey," Dad smiled and sighed as he stood to hold her close. He gazed into her fierce green eyes. "He's borderline obsessed with pokemon, dearest. Ever since he was an infant he's studied pokemon with a passion similar to your own when you were his age."

"Yes, and look where that got me in the end of it all."

"You have a beautiful home, a beautiful family, and a rich farm of berries and mareep that more than makes enough money for us."

"You know what I mean," Mom planted her face in Dad's chest and whimpered.

"I think it's time we let our son out of the nest. It's time he experienced the world the way a man is meant to."

"But," Mom struggled to find something, anything, any argument that would

Keep her baby safe at home. "What about the mareep? You said..."

"Mareep are simple critters," Dad said. "We'll train Joe and Blair to look after them while Andy's gone. In a couple weeks, they'll be experts and then Andy can go off on his own."

"But my baby..."

"We can't keep him here forever, Zoey. Frankly, I'm surprised he hasn't run away yet. He does take after his mother, after all." Dad laughed and hugged mom close.

"I don't like it," Mom complained.

Dad let her go and places his giant hands on her shoulders. "I don't either, but he'll be fine. He's our son. He's smart and tough, just like his mother."

Mom smiled and held one of Dad's arms in both of hers. "And he's a kind and compassionate like his father... Alright, we'll tell him tomorrow."

"That's my girl," Dad smiled and kissed her lovingly.

Andy trudged into his room and flopped onto his bed. Why wouldn't they ever listen to him? As long as he could remember, he'd planned to search the globe for pokemon and train them better than anyone else in the world. His pillow was already soaked with his tears. He felt a warm fuzzy nudge against his neck. He turned over to see buneary looking concerned.

"Eeary...?"

"Hey Bounce," Andy managed before sitting up. He picked up his adorable

brown rabbit with long slender ears and white fluff from the waist down. He cradled the small creature in his arms and scratched behind its ears. "Sorry, buddy. I'm just sick of being stuck here. Mom and Dad just won't listen to me. What about what I want? It's not fair!"

"Buneary! Neary eary..." Buneary's voice was high pitched and almost shrill, yet adorable. Buneary's cute nature always managed to cheer Andy up. Andy admittedly had a weakness for cute things, especially cute pokemon.

"You're right, Bounce," Andy sighed and wiped his wet eyes. "I shouldn't get so worked up over it. I mean, they're just trying to keep me safe, right? I just wish they could see it from my perspective."

"Neary!" Buneary gave Andy a warm hug to his neck.

"I guess I can't really fault them for that," Andy continued. He laid down on his back, resting his head on his folded arms. Buneary curled up on his chest.

"I'll just have to run away."

"Neary?" Buneary got up and bounced up and down on his chest in protest.

"Buneary! Neary eeeear!"

"It's the only way," Andy remained calm and smiled warmly at buneary.

Buneary flailed his arms and rolled up both ears against his skull.

"Buneary?"

"Tonight," Andy said. "As soon as Mom and Dad go to bed, we'll get packed up and head south for the mountains toward Pewter City."

"Buneeeeeary..." Buneary curled up on Andy's chest again and shivered uncontrollably.

"Shhh," Andy shushed buneary gently and pet him. He listened to Dad's laughter downstairs and sighed. "They should be going to bed soon. It's pretty late." "Buneeeary."

"Hey, come on," Andy consoled his timid friend. "We've been training for a long time, Bounce. You're pretty strong, you know. We'll be alright."

"Bun... eary..."

"Think of all the friends we'll make," Andy scratched behind buneary's ears. Buneary looked up and stopped shivering so much.

"Neary?"

"Oh yes. I'll catch a bunch of friends for you, and then we'll train real

hard! Then, everyone will be afraid of us! We'll be so strong, nobody will mess with us."

"Buneary?"

"And the food! So many carrots and potatoes and roots! All the tasty herbs along the way! I'll be able to mix all kinds of fun stuff in your poke-chow. I'll make it real good!"

"Eary!" Buneary seemed so excited now he was practically bouncing with glee.

"Good boy," Andy sat up and hugged his friend. He sat still as he heard the sound of footsteps up the creaky staircase. "Sounds like they're going to bed, now. We'll get ready in about half an hour, ok?"

Andy sat cross-legged in the attic next to a wooden chest straight out of a fantasy game of pirates and buried treasure. Against it Andy leaned his red backpack bulging with supplies, such as food, silverware, clothes, matches, and other survival gear. He opened the chest. It creaked loudly making Buneary shudder with fright.

"Don't worry, Bounce," Andy reassured him. "This is just Mom's old training gear. I found it a while back when I was playing up here."

"Neary?" Buneary hid behind Andy as it stared at the suspicious box.

"You silly rabbit," Andy petted Buneary's head and picked him up so he could see inside. "Go ahead. Have a look."

"Neary?" Buneary peered over the edge of the box. Inside was a pile of old clothes Mom might still fit into, some trophies from various pokemon tournaments and contests, a small pink wool sack, and a photo album. Andy

opened the sack and grinned.

"Alright," Andy whispered excitedly. "Pokeballs... and a belt." Andy

Strapped the belt around his waist and sat up on his knees. "What do you think? Fancy, huh?" He rummaged through the sack and pulled out a strange sphere that was red on one half and white on the other. It had a black button between the division of colors. "This is awesome. These will definitely come in handy."

Buneary hopped into the chest and started flipping through the photo album.

He stopped at a picture of Mom and Dad when they were younger. Mom was holding an Orange League trophy. There was another man in the picture standing next to her. He had graying brown hair, thick bushy eyebrows, and a long white coat.

"Bun? Eary?" Buneary placed a paw on the picture and looked up at Andy.

"Oh, wow," Andy picked up Buneary and the photo album. "Mom looks so young in this picture, huh? She used to be a pretty amazing trainer back in the day, apparently. She never talks about it, though, other than when she talks about how she met Dad at the Orange league. I wonder what happened. I mean, being a pokemon trainer and winning all kinds of trophies seems like a pretty big deal to just forget about it."

Buneary pointed at the man in the white coat. "Eary?"

"Oh him?" Andy took a closer look. "I'm not sure, but I think that's

Professor Oak. He's pretty famous. He knows all about pokemon, and he likes to give special starter pokemon to new trainers. He also gives new trainers a pokedex. Oh! That reminds me!"

Andy set Buneary and the photo album down and started rummaging through the chest again. He found Mom's box of old badges and set those aside. He'd be earning plenty of his own badges soon. "Where is it?"

"Eary?"

"Mom's old pokedex," Andy replied. "It should be in here somewhere, but I

can't find it."

Andy sat back and sighed. It wasn't there. Maybe she had to turn it in to

Professor Oak when she gave up being a trainer. "I guess we'll have to visit Professor Oak in Pallet Town and ask for one."

"Eary eary?"

"Oh right." Andy pulled out some potions and antidotes from the box and

started shoving them into his pack with the pokeballs. "A pokedex is a

device that tells you information about specific pokemon, like a pokemon index. It also records which ones you've seen and caught. It's really useful, and it holds I.D. information about the trainer, too. Other than badges, it's the mark of a pokemon trainer."

Andy placed some empty pokeballs on his belt and shouldered his backpack. It was heavy, but he knew he'd get used to it. "Time to go, Bounce."

Andy shoved the rest of Mom's old gear into the box and shut it tight before sneaking down the ladder. He held out his arms for Buneary. Surprisingly, Buneary didn't need any convincing to jump down. Then again, a bouncy pokemon like Buneary shouldn't be afraid of heights. Andy pushed the ladder and attic door back into place. He crept down the stairs and out the door into the cold night.

It was dark outside, or at least more than usual. Thick clouds hid the stars and moon, so Andy had to use a flashlight to guide himself through the backyard and up the hill toward the mountains. At the top of the first hill, Andy turned to look back at his home. To the North and West were the acres and acres of berry trees with cherry picker tractors interspersed for harvest.

To the east was the pasture and barns for mareep. Most of them were asleep in the barns, but some liked to sleep outside. One stood staring up at the dark sky.

Andy turned again and stared at the rocky path ahead. Dad used this

Particular route to hike to Pewter City to meet with the company representatives he supplied with berries or wool. They had to use helicopters to pick up the supplies, but they were working on a road that they could use for trucks instead. Helicopters were expensive, so Dad wasn't able to get as much money for his produce, but they still made plenty to live on.

Looking up, Andy stared defiantly at the mountains ahead. They loomed over him like sleeping giants. He shuffled his pack on his shoulders and tightened the straps. "Well Bounce, this is it. This is the last time we'll see home for a long time." He knelt down next to his shivering pokemon and scratched between its curled up ears. "Let's go have an adventure."

Andy stood and pushed the button on Buneary's pokeball. A red light poured out of it and engulfed his pokemon. Buneary vanished with the red light into the ball. Andy clicked it into place on his belt before taking his first step toward destiny.


	2. Chapter 2 The World Turned Onix Side

Today we find our hero trekking across a rocky trail toward Pewter City.

But, the weather isn't looking too good for our friends!

Andy walked with a purpose, kicking up dust behind him as he followed the

trail up through the mountains. Buneary reluctantly followed, hopping

alongside Andy and hiding its face under its pulled-up belly cotton fluff.

"Buneary! Eeeeeary."

"Don't worry so much, Bounce," Andy chuckled as he surveyed the stark grey landscape and even starker grey clouds. "Everything is fine, though it's probably not a good sign that we haven't seen even a single geodude yet. We've been walking all night, and it's past dawn now. At least, I think it is."

Andy looked all around him trying to find a slightly lighter spot in the sky that would give away the position of the sun, but it was nowhere to be seen. A low rumble rolled across the horizon. "That doesn't sound promising."

"Buneary!" Buneary tugged frantically at Andy's pant leg back toward the way they came. "Neary! Buneaaaary."

"We can't go back now, Bounce," Andy sighed and stopped to stretch a bit. He set his pack down and yawned, stretching the stiffness from his arms, chest, and back. "Mmmm, we've already come this far. If we go back now, we'll never leave home again. Mom would probably lock me in my room for the rest of my life."

Thunder rumbled through the mountains again. Andy closed his eyes and smiled at the sky as a light drizzle of rain began to fall. Buneary covered its face with cotton fluff again complaining miserably. "Buneeeeeary."

"Oh come on," Andy chuckled and picked up Buneary to comfort him. He cradled the little rabbit in his arms. "It's just a little rain. We should find some shelter, though. There should be a bunch of caves around here because of all the onix."

# # #

Onix, the great stone snake of the mountains, slept soundly beneath the

shadow of the shortest one. He was young, so he never noticed the slight

pressure drop in the air that normally came just before the rain. All onix knew was that it was nice and cool today, which was a very nice change of pace.

He liked this particular spot, too. The rocks were softer and tasted more

salty, and the few humans that passed by here rarely noticed his presence.

There was one now, talking to a buneary. Poor little buneary is scared of

the mountains.

Onix sighed a long slow sigh. It was such a nice day for a nap. Goodbye

human. Goodbye Buneary. Onix will probably never see you again.

Suddenly, there was a sound like a distant roar, then the rain! It was wet! It hurt! It hurt so much! The wet soaked into onix' stones and got into the cracks and crevices. It poured through sensitive joints, making the stones and pebbles creak. Every joint ached like a sandshrew crawling between every boulder of its body!

Onix roared and raised up high. "Gooooooh!" It hurt so much! It was like

having your soul washed away through your stones!

Something up ahead was moving. They must have done it! I didn't think

buneary knew rain dance! Why did they have to ruin such a nice day? I should ask.

# # #

Andy cradled the shivering Buneary in his arms. The rain was pouring heavier every minute. He sighed and mutterd to himself. "Great. Now onix and geodude are definitely not going to come out. Water hurts them. They were probably already hiding a long time ago to get ready for the rain."

Andy pulled his cap tight on his head. "We're going to be soaked through if we don't find shelter soon."

Andy pulled out Buneary's pokeball. "I'm going to put you in your pokeball, ok Bounce? I don't want you to get sick from getting w-."

"Goooooooh!" A thunderous and gravely roar echoed over the mountains. Andy turned to see a row of boulders he had just walked past rise up from the ground. The front boulder had a spike or a fin on the head. Rocks and mud cascaded from all around it. It's snakelike eyes locked onto Andy as it roared.

"It's an onix!" Andy clutched tight to Buneary and sprinted down the trail away from it. Onix groaned and charged toward them.

"Blaaaaaar!" Onix quickly caught up and dove to tackle. Andy leapt to the

side and rolled down a muddy slope, holding buneary tight. Luckily, Onix

missed as Andy dodged the attack, but an avalanche of rock and mud followed after him down the steep hill. If it had connected, its head alone would have been enough to crush Andy to mush.

Andy rolled to his feet at the bottom of the hill and ducked down low with Buneary wrapped in his jacket. Onix reared up and roared again, searching for them through the heavy sheets of pouring rain. It looked like it was in pain.

"Bounce," Andy shouted to the buneary in his arms. He stepped further away from the hill of falling rocks. "I need your help, buddy!"

"Buneary!" the pokemon protested and nuzzled tight against Andy's chest.

"Look, I need you to trust me, ok?" Andy knelt down on one knee and set

Buneary down in front of him in the rain. "Onix is weak from the rain,

already, and its extra weak against your ice beam attack."

"Neeeeary." Buneary's voice wavered as it shivered, already soaked from the heavy rain.

"You can do it, Bounce," Andy reassured him and stood up. He looked up the hill. Onix found them and roared before charging down the hill.

"Here it comes," Andy shouted. Buneary's ears coiled against its head as it stared up at the charging mountain of rocks. "Get ready!"

"Blaaarr!" Onix soared down the mountain, quickly gaining speed and

momentum.

"Now, Bounce!" Andy shouted and dodged to the side. "Jump up high and use

your ice beam!"

Buneary cried out and leapt high into the air just in time. Onix rushed past underneath Buneary. Buneary opened its mouth wide and a white-blue beam of frozen energy poured out and struck Onix just past its head. In an instant, Onix was covered in a sheet of frozen rain as its momentum carried it forward toward a wall of rock. Trapped in that layer of ice, Onix was unable to stop itself from crashing headlong into the cliff face.

Andy ran forward and caught Buneary before ducking down and protecting it

with his jacket again before they were caught in a shower of rock and Ice.

"Good job, buddy," Andy whispered to Buneary. "I'm really proud of you."

"Buneary!" Buneary smiled and nuzzled against Andy's chest.

As soon as the deadly shower ended, leaving only the rain to pelt them, Andy stood and grasped an empty pokeball. Onix was out cold, lying in a heap of ice coated boulders in a small crater. Andy grinned and tossed the red and white ball at Onix. It hit and opened up wide. Onix was then engulfed by red light spewing from the pokeball, then the ball shut and Onix and the red light was gone.

The ball fell to the ground and shuddered. A red LED in the ball button

glowed as it shook. Onix was trying to escape the tiny ball. Even in an

unconscious state, it had a strong force of will.

"Come on," Andy whispered through his teeth. It seemed like an eternity

before the red light faded and an electric gong sounded. Andy laughed and

hugged Buneary tight. "Yeah! We did it, Bounce! We caught Onix!"

Buneary wiggled happily in Andy's arms and hugged him back. "Buneary!"

"Thanks Bounce," Andy said, placing him back on the ground. "You did good."

Andy stepped over to the muddy pokeball and pulled out a black marker from his pocket. He picked up the ball and marked "ONYX" on the top. "Onix needs to get to a pokemon center. It's pretty beat up."

"Buneary?"

"Oh, right." Andy often forgot Buneary didn't know much about the human

world outside the farm where it was caught. "A pokemon center is like a

hospital for pokemon. They take care of you, fix your wounds, feed you, and let you sleep there. They're a big help after a tough battle, so I've

heard."

"Buneary?" Buneary tilted its head looking confused still.

"I went with Dad once before we found you sneaking around the farm."

"Buneary!" The brown rabbit crossed its arms looking indignant.

Andy chuckled and picked up the brown rabbit again. "You'll see what it's

like when we get to Pewter City. We had to bring a Mareep there once when it was really sick."

Andy shivered, reminding himself that if they didn't find shelter from the rain soon, they'd get sick too. The rain was still pouring in heavy sheets, and it wasn't showing any sign of letting up. "Come on, Bounce. Let's find somewhere to get dry."

Andy and Buneary quickly found a small cave nearby and took shelter inside. Andy poked and prodded some of the boulders inside to make sure there weren't any camouflaged Geodude sheltering there as well. Oddly enough, there were no pokemon inside.

Andy pulled some dry clothes wrapped in plastic garbage bags from his pack and began to undress. Buneary shook the water from its fluffy fur as Andy hung up his clothes to dry. "I'd sell my soul to have a fire type pokemon right now."

"Eeary." Buneary shivered and glanced around the small dark cave.

"I know it's dark," Andy sighed pulling on a dry shirt. "And it's cold, but there's no dry wood in here, and I'm pretty certain there isn't any outside, either. I can't make a fire with wet wood. At least, not without a strong fire type pokemon."

Andy sat down and rummaged through his pack. Buneary cuddled up against him. Andy smiled and handed Buneary an opened baggy with brown and red pokemon rabbit chow he made at home. "Sorry it's cold."

"Buneary!" Buneary smiled and dove into the little baggy of treats.

"Don't eat too fast," Andy chuckled. "I'll try to catch a fire type pokemon as soon as possible, alright? For now, we'll just have to make do until the rain stops."

Andy snacked on some granola bars and thought about Mom and Dad. They were probably freaking out already and sending out a search party to find him. They wouldn't find him this far from the path, though. Not with the rain being so thick and no fire to give away his position.

Tomorrow, when the rain hopefully stopped, they'd be able to make it to

Pewter City before noon. It wasn't too much further, but it would be stupid to try to make it in this weather. Not to mention, they'd been walking for eight hours already before Onix attacked. Andy was exhausted, and Buneary too.

Andy yawned and rolled out his sleeping mat. Buneary curled up next to him on the thin foam mat and nestled up against his chest. Buneary was asleep almost immediately.

"Good night," Andy whispered and kissed Buneary's ear. "Sweet dreams, my

little Bounce."

# # #

"Chuuuu! Pikachu!"

Andy sat up with a jolt. Buneary rolled away, complaining.

"What's going on?" Andy squinted in the sunlight clearing the haze of sleep from his eyes. He yawned and stretched. "Did you hear something?"

"Buneary." Buneary yawned and stretched its ears.

"Ekanssss." Something outside whispered.

"Pika!" The sound of a lightning strike echoed through the small cave. Andy leapt to his feet and shouldered his pack.

"Someone's in trouble!" Andy shouted. "Let's go, Bounce!"

"Buneary!" Buneary bounded behind Andy into the sunlight. Off to the side of the cave, a Pikachu was running from what looked like a purple snake with a yellow stripe just below the head. On Pikachu's back was a tiny rodent with similar coloring, but it had diamond shaped ears and a much smaller body.

"Pikachu must be protecting that Pichu from Ekans," Andy said. "Pikachu

doesn't look too good, either. It's pretty beat up."

Pikachu sprinted through a small canyon and found itself trapped at a dead end. It turned and growled at the snake as Andy ran to catch up.

"Chuuuu!" A bolt of electricity lanced from Pikachu's cheeks and struck the purple snake. Ekans seemed almost unaffected and lunged to bite Pichu.

"No!" Andy shouted. Pikachu dodged to the side, knocking Pichu away. Ekans latched on to Pikachu's neck, but Pikachu twisted out and slapped Ekans away with its tail.

"Bounce, use your bounce attack on Ekans! Quickly!"

Buneary jumped up high into the air. Ekans readied another attack, but

before it had a chance to move, Buneary landed on top of it hard. The stone ground around the impact cracked with the force of the attack. Buneary rolled away leaving Ekans dazed and broken in a little crater. Buneary placed itself between Ekans and Pikachu.

Andy ran over to them and knelt down. Exhausted and hurt, Pikachu collapsed. Pichu crawled up to it and prodded with its nose and paws. "Pichu? Pichu pichuuuuu!" It cried.

Andy leaned in to get a better look, and it wasn't looking good. "It looks like Pikachu's been bitten. A lot. I think Pikachu's been poisoned pretty bad."

"Pikaaaa!" Pikachu squeaked and looked up at Andy. It's breathing was

shallow and it was shivering. "Chaaaa!"

Buneary looked concerned and pulled on Andy's pants leg. It pointed at Pichu and then at Andy. "Buneary! Buneary eeeary!"

"What?" Andy asked as he searched through his pack for an antidote. He'd

grabbed some potions, but he forgot to pack any antidote. He looked back at Pikachu. "You want me to take Pichu?"

Pikachu nodded. "Pika. Chuuu Pikachu."

"I'm not leaving without you too," Andy said. "I've got to get you to a

pokemon center, Pikachu."

"Pika!" Pikachu tried to stand on all fours. Sparks rippled around its body and its legs shook with the effort, but it didn't stay standing for long.

"Chuuu." It laid down and winced. "Pika. Pikachu."

Buneary hopped over to Pichu and raised up one of its paws. Beneath its arm was a snake bite similar to the ones all over Pikachu. "Buneary!"

"Oh no," Andy groaned. "You too?"

"Pi. ka." Pikachu sounded weaker by the second. Andy had to act fast. He

clenched his fists realizing there was nothing he could do for Pikachu. Even at a dead sprint, he'd never make it to Pewter City in time to save Pikachu, but Pichu still had a chance. He'd have to run the whole way. If only he'd remembered the antidote!

"Pikaaaa," Pikachu squeaked one last time before falling limp.

"Buneary!" Buneary tugged at Andy's jacket and pointed toward the trail.

"I know," Andy said. He placed a hand on Pikachu's head and choked back

tears. "I'll take care of your baby. I'll protect Pichu, I promise."

Andy picked up Pichu and cradled it in both arms. He took one last look at Pikachu before running back up the hill to the trail.

"Pichu! Pichuuuuu!" Pichu cried and tried to wiggle out of Andy's grip, but Andy held tight until Pichu calmed down. Buneary hopped along side Andy as he sprinted down the trail toward Pewter City.

"Bounce!" Andy shouted. "I need you to run ahead and get help! Hurry!"

"Buneary!" Buneary bounded down the trail at full speed, disappearing behind scattered boulders and cliffs in seconds. Pewter City was still far away, but if Andy didn't stop, he'd be able to make it in time to help Pichu. Pichu cried into Andy's jacket, holding tight.

"Don't worry Pichu. We'll make it," Andy huffed between sobs. He picked up speed as the trail began to descend. "I promise."


	3. Chapter 3 Bolder than a Geodude

Andy clenched his teeth as he ran. His lungs felt like they were about to burst. The cold mountain air gnawed at his ears and made his head ache. His legs screamed at him to stop and rest, but if he didn't keep going he knew he wouldn't make it.

Pichu clung to Andy's chest as he sprinted down the mountain. So far, he'd been running for almost an hour. Luckily, there were only a couple of miles left. He hoped Buneary had found someone.

"Pichuuuu..." Pichu was getting weaker by the minute. The poison was setting in. Andy clenched his teeth and kept running. It took every ounce of his will just to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Soon, more and more trees were popping up as he sped by. The river that ran down the mountain to Pewter City rushed by him to his right. That was a sign that he'd be able to see the tallest buildings of Pewter City soon. Just around the next bend he'd be within sight of the city.

Suddenly, the ground came up to meet him. He skidded to a halt face down on the rocks and dirt. Pichu slipped from his arms, crying out in pain.

"Piiii..." it squeaked but laid still.

"I'm sorry," Andy apologized, rubbing his head where it hurt. It felt warm and sticky. He couldn't worry about that now, though. He crawled to his hands and knees and picked up Pichu again. "I must've tripped on a rock or something."

He struggled to his feet. He realized just how tired he was when his muscles stiffened up as he tried to start running again. His heart was pounding in his chest ready to explode.

A rock exploded on a boulder by Andy's head. He leapt back clinging protectively to Pichu.

"Geodude!" a gritty gravely voice shouted toward him. It came from a creature that looked like a floating sphere of rock with two heavily muscled arms two eyes and a gaping mouth.

"Oh no," Andy groaned, stepping away from the angry pokemon. "Not now! Geodude, this isn't a good time!"

Geodude waved its fists angrily at Andy and picked up another rock the size his head. Andy ducked before it threw the rock and ran as it burst against a boulder next to where he was standing a moment before. Geodude moved fast, despite being made of solid rock,. It caught up quickly and dove to tackle them.

Andy dodged and rolled out of the way, narrowly escaping being crushed by the living boulder. He reached for Buneary's pokeball before remembering Buneary was gone. He cursed and retrieved his last pokeball. The only other pokemon he had left was Onix, and it wasn't in any shape to battle yet.

He got back to his feet and sprinted toward the river. His only chance was to use the water in the river somehow to stop geodude. Rock pokemon were weakened by water.

Andy yelped as a large rock struck his shoulder. He crashed to the ground again and skidded to a halt a couple meters from the edge or the river.

Pichu cringed against Andy's chest as he rolled over onto his back. His right arm felt like it was on fire.

Geodude hovered over them waving its fists. It picked up another large rock and held it over them.

"I'm sorry, Pichu," Andy whispered and held Pichu close with his good arm. "I tried. I'm sorry."

Andy shut his eyes and waited for the end. He heard crunching rock and a loud splash.

"Buneary!" A cold nose and warm furry paws prodded at Andy's face.

"Bounce!" Andy sighed with relief and tried to sit up, but he was too weak. He winced, "Thanks buddy. I really owe you one. Did you find some help?"

"Buneary! Eary buneary!" buneary hopped up and down shouting down the trail. The rumbling of a small engine approached. A dirt bike pulled up and slid to a stop.

"Holy smokes," an older masculine voice spoke. "You're pretty beat up, kid! Let's get you to a hospital! Can you stand?"

The man helped Andy up. He coughed and limped toward the bike with Pichu cradled in his arm. "I need to get to a pokemon center first. Pichu is poisoned pretty bad from an Ekans."

"I see," the man took off his helmet and put it on Andy's head. He had unruly greybrown hair and dark skin. Andy couldn't see his eyes because they looked constantly shut. "You'll need to put your pokemon in their pokeballs. I'll get us there as fast as I can."

"Thanks," Andy reached for an empty pokeball and held it out to Pichu on the bike. "You're gonna have to trust me now, okay? I'm going to take care of you."

"Pichu." Pichu groaned as it was engulfed in red energy. The pokeball didn't even shudder before sounding the capture gong. Andy clipped the ball to his belt before kneeling down by Buneary and pulling out the next pokeball.

"You saved my life, Bounce," Andy said. "You deserve a good rest."

"Buneary!" Buneary smiled and hugged Andy before it was recalled to its pokeball.

"By the way," the man said. "The name's Flint."

"I'm Andy," he climbed onto the bike behind Flint and wrapped his arm around his waist.

"Hold on tight," Flint shouted as the engine revved up. Andy squeezed tight and the bike jerked into gear speeding down the hill. Within a few minutes, the trees and boulders around them had been replaced by the stone and cement buildings of Pewter City. Andy's vision started to become blurry as they passed a large museum of brick and stone. Several houses of stone whisked by before they stopped in front of a large white building with a red roof.

Andy slid off the bike and limped toward the glass doors of the pokemon center. Flint tried to help him, but Andy waved him away. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. It's Pichu that needs help."

A nurse with bright red poofy hair came running out the double doors. She had big bright eyes and an innocent expression of worry. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Andy groaned. He unbuckled his pokeball belt and handed it to her. "Pichu is badly poisoned. Onix could use some help too."

"I'll take care of them immediately." The nurse curtsied and took the belt. She turned to Flint "Get the poor boy inside, could you please? I'll get Chansey to come take care of him while you call the hospital."

"Yes ma`am," Flint sported a goofy smile. "I'll do anything you say." He helped Andy push through the double doors and then take a seat on one of the cushioned benches inside.

He pulled the helmet off Andy's head.

Andy jerked and started seeing double. The only thing he could think of was how tired he was. Everything was getting dark anyway. Pichu was safe. Now was as good a time as any for a nap, right?

"Woah," Flint's voice sounded muffled and distant. "Hold on, kid! Stay with me!"

"I'm... so tired..." Andy yawned and felt his whole body relax without. Flint snapped his fingers in front of Andy's face.

"Hey! Stay awake!" Fline was frantic. "Someone help, quick!"

"Remind me to find a fire type tomorrow," he started to fall and the world went black.


	4. Chapter 4 Never Gonna Pichu Up

Andy awoke to bright sunlight filtering through a high window. He tried to block the light from his eyes. Pain shot through his arm and shoulder rendering it immovable, or was it the sling holding it against his chest? He cringed and groaned as his head started to ache. "Ow..."

"Oh, you're awake," a pretty female voice spoke cheerily. Andy wanted to see who it was, but he didn't want to risk another painful jolt.

"Ohh... where am I?"

"You're at the Pewter City Hospital," she replied. "You were pretty beat up, young man. Can you tell me what happened?"

"Geodude happened," Andy grumbled. "Is Pichu alright?"

"Pichu!" A little yellow ball of fluff hopped onto the hospital bed and prodded Andy's good arm with its paws. "Pichu piiiichu!"

Andy sighed with relief. "Hey Pichu. Good to see you're okay."

"All your pokemon are fine," the nurse said. Andy saw her walk into view holding a clipboard. She had dark brown hair tied in a bun under a nurse cap, and she wore thin black glasses on a pretty thin face. Why were all nurses so dainty? "Flint is taking care of your Buneary and Onix for now, but Pichu insisted on staying here with you."

"Well thanks, Pichu," Andy smiled and turned carefully to look at the little rodent. "So, how long have I been here? If Pichu's here and Flint has the others..."

"Oh, it's only been a few days," the nurse responded and jotted down some more notes before examining the plastic bag of clear liquid next to his bed. The bag had a tube leading from it to Andy's good arm.

Andy groaned, "I don't really have any money to pay for this."

"Oh, don't worry about that," she giggled. "Pokemon trainers have medical insurance benefits paid by the pokemon league. We couldn't find your pokedex or your ID, however, so we had to contact Professor Oak to verify you were a trainer."

"Oh. That was nice of him."

She smiled and slipped the clipboard into a slot by the door. "He said you should visit him immediately to get a new pokedex to replace your last one."

"I see," Andy relaxed. As far as he knew, Professor Oak didn't even know him. Why would he vouch for some kid? Either the professor was incredibly generous or he expected something out of him.

"Sorry about that," he apologized. "I must've lost it during my little bout with Geodude."

"That's so odd," the nurse frowned and stuck a finger between her teeth for a moment. "Geodude aren't normally that hostile."

"Just my luck," Andy chuckled and winced. "So uh... how long until I can leave."

"Well," the nurse picked up the clipboard again and gazed at her notes. "I think you should be on your feet in just a couple more days, but you'll still be in a sling for a week or so. Don't strain yourself too much."

"Alright," Andy sighed. "Thanks."

The nurse smiled and turned to leave, dropping the clipboard in the slot again. "Oh by the way, your parents are here to visit. I'll let them know you're awake." She disappeared through the door.

"No wait!" Andy called after her and tried to sit up, but sharp pain in his shoulder and head kept him effectively bound to the bed. "Arceus, I'm so dead."

"Chuu!" Pichu growled and stood up on the mattress glaring at the door. Sparks showered from its cheeks.

"It's okay, Pichu," Andy reassured it. He placed his good hand on Pichu's head and smiled. "Don't worry about it."

Pichu calmed down and turned to poke Andy's face with its nose. "Pii? Chu?"

Andy sighed, "they probably just want to take me home. Obviously, I'm not going to let that happen."

"Andy!" Mom suddenly burst into the room looking frantic. Pichu yelped and ducked under the bed.

"Are you okay? Are they feeding you well? What happened? Who did this to you? Where have you been? You're in big trouble mister!"

"Mom, I'm fine," Andy groaned.

"Don't you ever do that again!" Mom hugged him tight. More pain lanced through his body from his arm and head.

"Ow ow ow..."

"I'm sorry!" Mom let go and stood up, glaring into his eyes. "What happened?"

Dad appeared in the doorway and leaned against the frame with his arms crossed. Actually, it looked more like he was just trying to fit through the door.

"I just had a little fight with a Geodude, Mom," Andy exaggerated. "I'm fine. I'll be up and about in a couple days."

"Doc says your shoulder was dislocated and you got a pretty good bump on the head," Dad said.

"Like I said," Andy smiled. "It was nothing."

"That's my boy," Dad chuckled.

"This is nothing to laugh about!" Mom snapped and glared at Dad. "My baby's hurt!" She turned back to Andy. "And you're coming right back home!"

"But Mom!"

"No buts!"

"Zoey," Dad growled and stepped into the room. "We already talked about this."

"I don't care," Mom complained. "He's not ready! I'm not ready! I can't see him like this..."

"Pichu!" Pichu suddenly appeared on the bed again between Andy and Mom. It growled at her, clenching its paws and sticking its lightning bolt tail straight out. Sparks flew from its cheeks.

Mom gasped, "Is that a Pichu?"

"Pichu?" Pichu's expression changed from rage to confusion. Mom picked it up at the waist and held it out at arm length smiling like a child at Christmas. "It's adorable!"

"I saved it from an Ekans." Andy coughed and looked away. He didn't want to tell the rest of the story. Seeing that Pikachu dying and being helpless to save it was too painful to think about, let alone talk about it. As far as he was concerned, it was an unimportant detail that didn't need to be shared.

Mom carried the little rodent away to a corner of the room tickling the giggling pokemon. Dad cleared his throat and took a seat in a cushioned chair next to Andy's bed. "Now that your mother is preoccupied the men can talk, hm?"

Andy smiled and looked up. "I'm sorry for running away, Dad, but I had to."

"I know," Dad smiled. "Honestly, I was expecting you to, which is why I had a little chat with your mother. We were going to let you go in a couple weeks, anyway. Your mother can be pretty stubborn sometimes, though." He looked up at Mom still playing with the happy yellow rodent. "You just have to find her soft spot."

Dad stared off into space with a goofy grin on his face. Andy waited a minute before clearing his throat to make Dad come back to reality. "Ah! Sorry. Um, anyway, Flint told me how he found you. Sounds like you've done a lot of growing up in the last few days. Takes courage to do what you did. Took on a geodude without any usable pokemon? Pretty gutsy."

"I only did what I had to," Andy shrugged. "And geodude found me. I didn't have much choice in the matter."

"Hm, that may be, but you handled it." Dad grunted and shifted in his seat. "And he says you caught an Onix, and not a little one neither."

"How do you know Flint?" Andy asked.

"Ah," Dad smiled and leaned back. The chair creaked, ready to fall apart at any moment. "Flint and I go way back. Actually, your mother knew him before I did, but that's a long story."

Dad cleared his throat and laid an enormous plate-sized hand over Andy's good shoulder and most of his torso. "You trained your Buneary well. It was your effort and compassion toward your pokemon that saved the day. I'm proud of you son."

"Thanks Dad."

"Mmm," Dad grunted and reached down under the chair. "Your mom and I got you a little something for your Adventures."

"What's that?" Andy tried to sit up again, but was once again hindered by searing pain. "Ow. Someday I'll learn..."

"Heh," Dad chuckled and held out a new red backpack with several pockets. "I picked this up at the trainer's market. It's a neat little pack for pokemon trainers. Cost me a small fortune!" He leaned over to whisper. "I think it's magic."

"Magic?" Dad helped him sit up to look at it. He started opening the zippers to look inside.

"It's got pockets for just about everything," Dad said. "This little one on the right holds pokeballs. It's got twenty of em in there right now, and they say it can hold up to a hundred!"

"No!" Andy stared at the little pocket. "Really?" He shoved his hand into the pocket and pulled out three pokeballs before dropping them back in. The pocket was barely inflated. "Creepy. How does it do that?"

"I don't know!" Dad shrugged, nearly knocking the lamp off the little side table. "I put some potions and antidotes in the other side pocket for medicines 'n stuff. Oh, and I put a bunch of berries from home in the berry pocket."

"This is so awesome, Dad," Andy said. His heart raced with excitement. Even with all the extra stuff in it, this bag felt lighter than his old pack.

"But wait, there's more," Dad raised a finger like a salesman before reaching into the main pocket. "They said you can fit a bike in this thing! A bike!"

"You got me a bike?" Andy shouted.

"No." Dad sighed. "They were out, but I did get you this." He retrieved a package with a device inside that looked like a large blue flip phone with white pokeball designs on the edges.

"They call it a pokegear," he said. "It has radio, a map of all of Kanto, something called a dowsing radar, and even a cell phone. They also said you can upgrade it and add more uh... apps?"

"Dad," Andy was speechless as Dad handed him the device. "Wow... thank you."

"Please. Call. Your. Mother," Dad pleaded. "That's the deal. It's the only way I could get her to let you leave. I've already put her number on your phone. And finally..."

"No dad," Andy put the pokegear back in the bag and shook his head. "It's too much."

"Now, hold on," Dad said. He pulled some voucher tickets from his pocket and dropped them into the open pocket of Andy's new pack. "These will get you some new clothes at the Trainer's Market in town. We don't want you wandering through the wilderness in wool and cashmere. Get yourself some nice running shoes, too."

"Dad, you're the greatest," Andy leaned over to give his Dad a one-armed hug.

"Naw," Dad chuckled. "It's the least I can do, son. You go chase your dreams and be the best pokemon trainer the world has ever seen."

Dad stood up and stretched his arms, shoving aside curtains and furniture with his shoulders in the cramped room. "Well, I think it's time your mother and I headed out."

"What?" Mom stopped tickling the fussing Pichu, and it slipped out of her arms to hide behind Andy.

"Pichuuuuu!"

"No," Mom said. "I told you, he's coming home. I forbid..."

"We're going," Dad growled. "Come on, Zoey. Let's go back to the hotel..."

"...but..."

"...And we'll discuss this again, okay? Not here."

"Fine," Mom pouted and crossed her arms. She sighed and kissed Andy's bandaged forehead. "We love you sweetie. We just want what's best for you."

"I know, Mom," Andy hugged her with his one good arm. "I'll be fine."

"My number is on your pokegear phone."

"I know," Andy smiled.

"Don't forget to call me."

"Please, Zoey," Dad begged. "Let the boy rest."

Andy's parents waved and left. Andy waved back and flopped back down on his pillow, grunting as he did so. "Well, that went much better than I expected."

The pretty nurse came back in a moment later holding a syringe needle. She shoved the pointy end into a slot on the clear baggy leading to Andy's arm.

Andy wondered how Onix and Buneary were getting along. For that matter, how was he going to find them later? Flint was taking care of them, but Andy had no idea where he lived. "Excuse me, miss?"

"Yes?" She pulled the syringe out of the bag and smiled at him. "What can I do for you?"

"You said Flint had my pokemon, right? Do you know where I can find him when I'm better?"

"Oh," she smiled. "That's easy. You'll probably find him at the Pewter City Gym."

"That's cool," Andy closed his eyes. He was suddenly feeling incredibly sleepy. "I didn't know he was a trainer. I'll have to battle him before I leave."

"I would hope so," the Nurse giggled. "Flint is the Gym Leader."

Today, we find our hero standing before a sturdy stone building with his head held high. He's ready for adventure despite his injuries. Can he be tough, or will his broken shoulder hold him from progressing toward his goal of becominga pokemon master!

Andy stretched in his new clothes. His new blue jeans fit nice and loose under a blue tee shirt and a black leather sports jacket with sage green sleeves and a logo on the back of Charizard breathing fire. Underneath it read "Indigo League Trainer" in block letters. He also picked up a black golf cap with a pokeball decal on the front. The jacket hung over his left shoulder, hiding the sling tied to his arm.

He stood before a tall building that looked like it was carved from stone. Large wooden beams made up the external frame of the solid building. A sign hung next to the door that said "Pewter City Gym." It was a testament to the stoic nature of the people of Pewter City.

"Hey there! What happened to your arm?" A young boy with dark hair and big bright eyes stared at his sagging jacket. The boy looked to be about eight years old.

"Oh hey," Andy smiled and waved with his good arm. "I had a bit of an accident in the mountains."  
"Are you here to challenge my dad in a gym battle?" The boy held his hands behind his back and swayed back and forth on the balls of his feet.

"Not quite," Andy admitted. "Actually, I came to get Buneary and Onix. Your dad  
took care of them for me…"

"...Oh!" the boy exclaimed. "You're that guy! Your buneary is really healthy, and strong too! It gets along really well with your new onix. Come on in!"

The boy opened the door to the gym and hurried inside. "By the way, I'm Forrest. Nice to meet you!"

"I'm Andy. Pleasure's all mine," Andy was distracted by the appearance of the gym. Inside, boulders and rock covered the floor like a miniature mountain zone. White painted lines marked the area as a battle arena. Above and to the right was a spectating box. Almost a dozen kids crowded the handrail watching the playing pokemon below.

Onix and Buneary were chasing each other among the boulders with a geodude and a much larger living boulder with muscular arms, legs, and a large snake's head protruding from the center. Golem. Andy's arm suddenly ached watching all the rock pokemon tumbling around playfully.

"Buneary!" Andy's pokemon rushed toward him as soon as they saw him. Buneary hopped to him in one quick bound and landed in his outstretched arm.

"Hey, Bounce! Did you have fun while I was gone?"

"Buneary!" Buneary smiled and clung to Andy's jacket. He stared up in Andy's face with a look like he had a story to tell. "Buneary! Eary eary buneary!"

"Gooooh!" Onix slithered over as well as rock can. For the first time, Andy realized exactly how big it was as it laid down in front of him. Its eyes were still level with his own.

Buneary hopped onto Onix' head and clung to its horn. Andy placed his palm on Onix' snout. The living stone was surprisingly smooth and warm. "Hey buddy. You look like you're feeling better."

"I took good care of 'em," Forrest smiled with pride.

"Thanks," Andy nodded and patted Onix. "I owe you one."

"Nah, don't mention it," Forrest stared at Andy's Buneary hiding from Geodude behind Onix' horn. Andy leaned back against the wall as Onix and Buneary raced back to the obstacle strewn arena to play. He let out Pichu from its pokeball as well.

"Pichu!" The cute yellow rodent practically sparkled with excitement.

"Go ahead and play," Andy chuckled. Buneary hopped up and grasped Pichu's paw before half dragging it toward the other pokemon.

"Where'd you get your Buneary?" Forrest asked. "I've never seen one in Kanto."

"Oh, it's a long story," Andy sighed. "But, long story short, my mom caught Buneary stealing berries on the orchard. After a lot of begging, she let me keep him."

"Hello Andy," a familiar gritty voice spoke. Flint leaned against the wall next to him with crossed arms. "I have half a mind to give you a gym badge already for what you've accomplished, but that's not quite how it works."

Andy shrugged, "I wouldn't accept it anyway. I haven't proven anything that would help at the indigo league."

"Exactly," Flint agreed. "But, you have compassion, and a strong bond with your pokemon, including the onix you just caught. That kind of commitment will give you strength and take you a long way. It's not a common trait anymore."

"I don't know what to say," Andy smiled weakly.

"By the way," Flint changed the subject. "You said earlier that you wanted a fire type pokemon, right?"

"I do," Andy cocked an eyebrow and stared quizzically at him. "Why?"

"Well, my son Forrest has taken pretty strong to your Onix. I'd be happy to trade you a growlithe for it."

It was a tempting offer. Growlithe, a flaming canine, was typically easy to train. They were quick to become friendly and loyal, and with a fire stone he could evolve it into Arcanine. They were known to be particularly formidable pokemon.

However, Onix was Andy's first, and so far only legitimate catch. Onix may be a bit more difficult to handle, but it's also a powerful and extremely loyal pokemon.

"I don't think I can give up on Onix," Andy decided. "Even though I just got it."

Flint nodded, "I understand. By the way, nice new clothes. Leather suits you."

"Yeah?" Andy shifted his jacket. "It's not too flashy? The only good logo I could find was Charizard."

"Nah... it looks good on you."

"Hey Andy!" Forrest suddenly appeared again clutching a pokeball in both hands and bouncing on his heels. "Do you wanna have a pokemon battle with me?"

Andy shrugged and smiled. "Sure thing. One on one? Onix could use some practice, I guess, and I'd like to see what he can do."

"Great!"

"Heh heh heh," Flint chuckled. His laugh was raspy and unsettling. "Good luck kid. You'll need it."

"Geodude, Golem, return!" Forrest recalled his pokemon to their pokeballs and took his place on the opposite side of the gym. Buneary and Pichu raced back to Andy and hid behind him as he took his place on the arena floor within a white painted square.

"Onyx!" The giant rock snake curled in front of Andy as he called it. "Are you ready to show 'em what you're made of?"

"Gooooh!" Onix roared and turned to face Forrest on the boulder strewn battlefield. Forrest grinned and tossed another pokeball.

"Ryhorn, I choose you!" In that familiar red glow appeared a stout four-legged beast covered in stone plating. A short sharp horn protruded from the tip of a short angular snout leading to deep inset eyes. Its roar sounded like grating slate.

"Ryhorn, huh?" Andy crossed his arms and stopped to consider his options. Both pokemon were rock types, so physical attacks weren't going to do a lot of damage to either side. It was probably best to wear down his opponent's stamina until they were too exhausted to battle.

"This is a one on one battle!" Flint shouted from the sidelines. "No time limit! Begin!"

"Onix, use rock throw!" Andy shouted.

"Ryhorn, charge in and use horn attack, now!" Onix curled its tail around aboulder, but Ryhorn was a lot quicker. It charged in at full speed and used its horn to toss Onix aside. Onix crashed into a heap of boulders throwing up a shower of rock and debris, but the hardy snake was mostly unaffected. Rock types were very sturdy. This could take some time.

"Ryhorn, tackle it!" Ryhorn ran forward and slammed headfirst into Onix, generating another shower of dust and rock. Ryhorn was very fast, but it wasn't very agile. Once it got moving, it's momentum kept it from moving in any direction other than forward.

"Blaaaaar..." Onix groaned and got back up.

"Onix!" Andy didn't want to wait for the dust to clear to make a move. "Move to its side and tackle it!"

Onix groaned again and slithered around Ryhorn before leaping full bodied into the armored beast. Yet more rock and dust flew in every direction, but neither pokemon even looked winded.

"Ryhorn, use your horn attack again!" Ryhorn stumbled away from Onix and turned slowly to ready a charge.

"Onix! Rock throw!" Onix grasped one of the remaining boulders with its tail and swung its full body around to toss it. The boulder shattered against Ryhorn's hide, knocking it back a few meters, but was otherwise not very effective. Ryhorn stamped its feet and charged again.

"Onix, dodge to the side!" Onix groaned and slid out of the way just in time for Ryhorn to charge right  
past it and crash through another boulder.

"You're going to run out of rocks soon," Flint chuckled. "I might have to make you pay for those."

Andy ignored him and squatted down to think. At this rate, it was going to be a very drawn out battle before a draw was decided or a very close loss. Even being careful, Onix would get too exhausted to continue if Andy didn't think of something quick. He grumbled and wished he had that pokedex already, so he could remember what Onix's main attack was.

Ryhorn charged again. Once again, Onix dodged to the side and threw another boulder. This continued for a few more rounds as Forrest shouted commands and tried to get Ryhorn to land an attack.

Andy stood up and clenched his fist in front of him. He remembered Onix's main attack. He wasn't just going to win. He was going to destroy Forrest.

Ryhorn charged again and Onix clashed with it head on. Ryhorn was stronger, but though it tried to toss Onix aside, the snake just moved with it and resisted the throw. It glared into Ryhorn's sunken eyes and grumbled.

"Onix! Use your bind attack!" Andy smiled as Onix spun around and wrapped around Ryhorn with its whole body, squeezing around its midsection. Stone ground against stone. Ryhorn roared in pain.

"No!" Forrest shouted. "Ryhorn, get out of there! Don't give up!"

No matter how much Ryhorn wriggled and writhed, it couldn't escape Onix's stone grip. Soon, it's struggling became weak. Andy coughed and shouted, "Onix! Finish it off by tossing it with rock throw!"  
Onix roared and complied, whipping its body around and heaving the heavy pokemon into the last remaining pile of boulders. Ryhorn cringed and fell still.

"Ryhorn is unable to battle," Flint said. "Onix is the winner."

"Ryhorn!" Forrest ran over to his unconscious pokemon and knelt next to it. He placed his palm on its side and bowed his head in shame. "Ryhorn, you did good. You earned a long rest. Return." Red light engulfed the fainted pokemon before it vanished into the pokeball in Forrest's hand.

"You earned a rest too, Onyx. Good job." Onix groaned and slid down in front of him. Andy patted its nose before recalling it to its pokeball.

Forrest was still kneeling in the rubble as Andy walked up to him. "Hey. You alright? You did awesome."

"Ryhorn's never lost before." Forrest sobbed.

"Ryhorn is very strong," Andy admitted. He held out a hand to Forrest and helped him to his feet.

"You're really smart," Forrest said.

"And you are a great trainer," Andy ruffled Forrest's hair and smiled. "I hope I get to battle you again soon."

"Next time I'll win!" Forrest exclaimed.

"We'll see." Andy grinned.

"Hey guys, good job." Flint patted Andy's good shoulder. "You've got a good head on your shoulders, kid. Keep training and you'll be a pokemon master in no time."

He placed his other hand on his son's shoulder. "Forrest, you did very well too. Remember, you can't win every match. You learn from your losses and become far stronger than you ever could with consistent victories."

Forrest smiled weakly and nodded. "Thanks, Dad."

"Hey," Flint continued. "Why don't you stay for Dinner, Andy? We'd love to have you over."

"I'd love to," Andy said. "But, I really need to get going. Professor Oak is expecting me. I don't want to keep him waiting."

"Well then, we wish you luck," Flint chuckled. "Come back and meet the whole family soon. Besides, you owe me for all those rocks you broke." Flint held out his hand for Andy to shake.

"What? They're just rocks..."

"I'm kidding," Flint guffawed and waved as Andy rolled his eyes and walked outside. Buneary and Pichu followed behind, running in circles around him.

"Buneary! Eary!"

"Piiiiiichu!"

The two wrestled and chased each other as they traveled down along the river. An old wood watermill lay in scorched ruins as if it had been in an explosion. It was probably a story Andy would never know.

Further down the river, at the very edge of Pewter City was a sign that read "Viridian Forest." Andy checked his pokegear map. South of Viridian forest lay Viridian City. Beyond that was Route 1 which led directly to Pallet Town where Professor Oak was waiting.

Pichu and Buneary suddenly stopped as explosions rippled through the sky to the west. Fireworks were going off over the Indigo Plateau, signaling the end of this year's pokemon league. Andy held his head high and clenched his fist tight.

"Come on, guys," his heart raced as he stepped into the forest. Pichu crawled up to his good shoulder and Buneary hopped down the trail ahead.


End file.
